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Jim Carroll

Music, Life and everything else

OTR’s Monday morning 12 step re-up programme

(1) A huge thanks to our 500 Words of Summer guest writers from last week. The pieces were splendid, the ideas were sharp and the writing was top-class so thanks to Ailbhe Malone, Derek O’Connor, Aoife Flynn, Lauren Murphy (who …

(2) It was supposed to be a quiet week on the blog, but the latest bout of Arcade Ire put paid to that one. Thanks to band manager Scott Rodger for coming on here to give his side of the story (comment number 76 here), though I do have a number of as yet unanswered questions for him (comment 83). Still, OTR was right on the date, support act and price. Yes, Hot Press, we were – unlike you, we took the additional Ticketmaster charges into account to give the price the fans pay, not just what the press release says (“from” can cover a multitude). The campaign for all-in ticket prices starts now.

(3) A good result from Croker yesterday as the Premier County take their place, via the back-door, in the All-Ireland hurling final. Given all the chat in the build-up about Waterford, Davy Fitz and their allegedly awesome training, I was quite surprised at how underwhelming and unconvinving they were individually and collectively once the game started. Still, we’re in the final against the “Greatest Team of All-Time”. Surely the Cats are due one off-day, right?

(4) OTR has some truly champion meals last week in The Chop House in Dublin and the Liberty Grill and Cafe Paradiso in Cork. It’s been years since I last ate in Denis Cotter’s restaurant in Cork, but Cafe Paradiso is still the business. Yes, it’s a vegetarian restaurant, but don’t let that put you meat-eaters off because this is a truly awesome gastronomic experience. This week, I shall attempt to recreate their beetroot risoto, using freshly plucked beetroots from the back-garden. A good summer for beetroots….

(5) Time to revise the 2010 OTR’s festivals and outdoor shows census seeing as both the Indie’Go Festival (Fenagh, Co Carlow) and Summer Blowout (Donnybrook Stadium, Dublin) did not and are not going ahead. In the case of the Indie’Go Festival, they’re blaming “a number of reasons largely related to financial problems which included low investment and poor ticket sales” for yanking the festival on its second day. However, some punters, outlining how much they spent to get to the festival, point out that “If ticket sales were the factor of the cancellation, why were tickets still available on saturday – surely ye knew it was to be cancelled?” The Summer Blowout, AKA the Leaving Cert results party which was supposed to feature Razorlight, Alexandra Burke, N-Dubz and many more, has been “cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control” with the show now moved to Dandelion, Button Factory and Club 92. Odd, really, when you consider that the lads behind the event, Shane Harnett and Shane Madden from Premium Nights, were telling the Sunday Business Post only last week that ticket sales were “reasonably strong”. Once again, proof that you need more than a good idea and a big field to put on a festival.

(6) Lots of gig announcements last week and here’s a rundown of the ones we like. DJ Shadow returns to Ireland for gigs in Cork (Savoy, Sep 30), Dublin (Tripod, Oct 1) and Galway (Radisson, Oct 2). The Temper Trap play Belfast’s Ulster Hall on Oct 30 and Dublin’s Tripod the following night, MF Doom is at Dublin’s Button Factory on Oct 12, while Terry Riley celebrates his 75th birthday with a bash at the Tain Theatre in Dundalk on Oct 29, which will also feature Talvin Singh and George Brooks alongside the minimal kingpin.

(10) OTR Plugs: the next On The Record Presents features a date with PVT at The Workman’s Club, Dublin on September 9. Meanwhile, the next Banter takes place at the Twisted Pepper, Dublin on Sep 22 with Cillian Stewart (Castle Palooza) and Paul Brown (Earagail Arts Festival) discussing the ins and outs of running an Irish festival. Those behind Summer Blowout and Indie’Go are, of course, welcome to attend.

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